A NewsX special investigation reveals that UP Chief Minister Mayawati and some of her associates are being accused of extracting crores of rupees a day from Uttar Pradesh’s liquor shops.

The stores' salesmen say they are being forced to pay a 10 rupee "Mayawati Tax" on every bottle of liquor they sell.

The scam appears to stretch across the state. Wherever you go the extortion or the Mayawati Tax remains the same.

A salesman in Noida says that Rs 15 is charged per bottle. Rs 15 may seem like a small amount. But multiply it by the 6 crore bottles of liquor sold in UP every year, according to the UP Excise department. That’s a whopping Rs 90 crore a year!

The tax on beer is less – Rs 5. And with beer sales also standing at 6 crore bottles a year, that’s another Rs 30 crore the "Mayawati tax" will mop up.

And that's not all. Ironically, the plight of the poor, who buy country-made liquor, is worse.

It’s estimated that six and a half crore litres of country made liquor is sold every year in Uttar Pradesh. So the Mayawati’s tax would garner an astonishing Rs 1200 crore.

So that’s a total of Rs 1350 crore Mayawati and her associates could be raking in.

Store salesmen say this illegal extortion started around seven months ago. That could mean Rs 780 crore for Mayawati and her associates - and not a word of protest from the police, excise officials or central authorities.

From what the liquor store salesmen reveal, it’s all a very well organized racket. But who is accused of running this racket for Mayawati?

When asked, this is what one salesman said.

NewsX: With whose permission are you doing this?
Salesman: Ponty Chadda….with Ponty Chadda’s permission
NewsX: Who is Ponty Chadda?
Salesman: He owns all the liquor shops.

Point person

The shadowy Ponty Chaddha and his family rule the UP liquor distribution business. His business is estimated to have a turnover of more than Rs 4000 crore and Chadda is now said to be a favoured associate of the UP Chief Minister.

In an unprecedented deal, the Mayawati government has asked Chadha to manage all the state’s liquor business on its behalf. So the Chadha group buys liquor at whole sale prices and sells it to retailers at a margin.

NewsX tried to contact Ponty Chadha for his take on the story, but despite numerous attempts there was no response.

What's astounding is that salesmen talk openly about the "Mayawati Tax "- as if it were an open secret.

Salesman: A team had come from Lucknow, they took away Rs 10-15 lakh.
NewsX: From whom?

Salesman: Yes…this has been the practice…the prices were lower only for a day…

UP officials were too afraid to comment on this story. When NewsX spoke to excise department officials they refused to come on camera. Some even came to the NewsX office to try and dissuade us from running this story.

The Mayawati tax allegations could further sully the reputation of a Chief Minister now widely seen as a tainted politician.

But Mayawati’s party, the BSP, did not speak to NewsX on the matter. NewsX approached the BSP’s Naseemuddin Siddiqi, who is also UP’s excise minister, for a comment on the issue. This was his reaction.

“I will not speak on this issue. Kya tamasha hai,” said Naseemuddin Siddiqi, Excise Minister, UP.

Conspiracy of silence

Several requests for comments from the Chief Minister's office and the state police chief's office also went unanswered.

Apart from validating what NewsX has found, Samajwadi Party leader pointed to the deep-seated corruption in UP's Liquor Industry.

“Yes it’s absolutely correct. The same liquor mafia approached me when we were in power. But we didn't succumb to the pressure. There is a gentleman, who happens to be a close relative of a powerful politician from Punjab. He is the negotiator between Shashank Shekhar Singh and the liqour mafia,” said Amar Singh, General Secretary, Samajwadi Party.

The nexus between the UP government and the liquor mafia is often spoken about. But this is the first time Amar Singh has clearly named and targeted Mayawati's all powerful Cabinet Secretary, Shashank Shekhar Singh, as a key player in the nexus.

Shashank Shekhar, however, could not be reached for a reaction, despite repeated efforts. NewsX also faxed a letter to Singh's office and sent an email at Chief Minister’s address but the response is still awaited.

The SP is now calling for an inquiry into the Mayawati tax and attacking the Congress on the issue as well.

"There should be an inquiry but I'm afraid both Congress and BSP are working in tandem. BSP and Congress are two sides of the same coin," said Amar Singh.

The Congress, on the other hand, is asking UP's opposition parties to come together and challenge the BSP in the assembly over the "Mayawati tax".

“All the Opposition leaders should raise the issue inside the house. The UP government must punish all those involved in such activities," said Shakeel Ahmad, Spokesperson, Congress.

The BJP too feels NewsX's investigation vindicates their claims that the BSP is running an exceedingly corrupt government.

"We had heard about extortions by mafia, but it's outrageous to hear about the use of political clout, that too by a Chief Minister to generate funds for selfish interests," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Spokesperson, BJP.

Field officers are afraid and are not ready to discuss the issue. Top government officials and BSP functionaries have refused to buzz.

Meanwhile, UP's liquor shops continue to levy the Mayawati tax - apparently with far more zest that they levy official taxes. And customers continue to be forced to pay the Mayawati tax.

For now, it remains as the most universal sign of how the UP chief minister is turning India's most populous state into her personal fiefdom.

Really stupid news,another conspiracy being 'brewed' by the Manuwadi forces who unable to tolerate the rise of the 'dalit ki beti'...

Imposing high taxes are an enlightened and democratic means of discouraging people from taking to liquor.Keeping the Taxes private is to ensure that the revenue doesn't fall into Manuwadi hands and could be used by the BSP for pursuing about more progressive agendas intended to transform the lives of people of Uttar pardesh,esp the Dalits.

Really stupid news,another conspiracy being 'brewed' by the Manuwadi forces who unable to tolerate the rise of the 'dalit ki beti'...

Imposing high taxes are an enlightened and democratic means of discouraging people from taking to liquor.Keeping the Taxes private is to ensure that the revenue doesn't fall into Manuwadi hands and could be used by the BSP for pursuing about more progressive agendas intended to transform the lives of people of Uttar pardesh,esp the Dalits.

Forgive my ignorance, but why should we stop at "Tilak, taraju, kalam and talwar", why not maro jhute to anyone who does not vote for Behenji(even after seeing such wonderful schemes like mentioned in this thread) and thereby not allowing the dalit ki beti to become a Pradhanmantri?

Forgive my ignorance, but why should we stop at "Tilak, taraju, kalam and talwar", why not maro jhute to anyone who does not vote for Behenji(even after seeing such wonderful schemes like mentioned in this thread) and thereby not allowing the dalit ki beti to become a Pradhanmantri?

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Because,like the previous Lok sabha election showed,that would include not just manuwadis but also plenty of Namak halal Dalit's who have betrayed Behenji despite all that she has done for them.But Behenji is nothing but the personification of forgiveness,she has already forgiven the betrayers and just to remind every Dalit in all of UP where their interest lies,Behenji will commission more statues to be installed all over the state, lest they forget.

:stinker: Want to see some progressive agenda for dalits from "dalit ki bati..."

SC orders UP Govt to stop park construction

Friday, September 11, 2009,14:09 [IST]
New Delhi, Sep 11: The Supreme Court on Friday, Sep 11, ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to stop the construction of the B R Ambedkar Park in Lucknow and six other memorials of Dalit icons.
According to reports, the Uttar Pradesh government had promised the court on Sep 8 that no construction would be carried out but work was continued.

Disappointed over the Mayawati government for not following its undertakings, the court has given six hours to stop construction.

The Supreme Court in Jun 2009 issued a notice to the government over plans to build 40 memorials. The memorials were estimated have cost Rs 2,000 crore.

Mayawati: Indian politician refuses to stop erecting statues of herself.

India's low-caste political leader, Mayawati, has spent $500 million on statues of herself and others. But to supporters, the statues symbolize her monumental success.
NEW DELHI - Most political leaders are cast in bronze or stone only after their death. Not so Mayawati, the chief minister of India's populous Uttar Pradesh state and an icon of Dalits, the lowest caste of Hinduism formerly known as untouchables.
Mayawati is estimated to have spent $500 million of public funds on some 40 statues of herself and other Dalit champions, which now litter the landscape of Lucknow, UP's capital.
While many Indians are appalled by the statues, for Mayawati's poor and low-caste supporters, they symbolize her rags-to-riches success.
In September, India's Supreme Court ordered that Mayawati halt her statue building spree, after a public interest lawsuit claimed that such huge sums of money would be better spent in UP – one of India's poorest states – on public services. Amid reports that the statues were still appearing, a further hearing is scheduled for Monday.
For middle-class, English-speaking Indians, the statue scandal confirms their worst fears of Mayawati as megalomaniacal and venal. The former schoolteacher, who was born in a Delhi slum, has made an estimated fortune of $12 million during her political career and is being investigated over alleged corruption. She once planned to attach a shopping center near the Taj Mahal, though plans were scuppered after a high-level inquiry.
But political analysts say it could play to her advantage among her core constituency: Dalits and the very poor. For many of them, Mayawati's unapologetic ostentation with its message of "I did it, you could too" is part of her appeal.
"There will be a political calculation here for sure," says Ajoy Bose, her biographer. "The more she's demonized by the chattering classes, the more popular among Dalit voters she becomes… although it would be good if she did something more useful for her constituency too." Mayawati: Indian politician refuses to stop erecting statues of herself. | csmonitor.com

Because,like the previous Lok sabha election showed,that would include no just manuwadis but also plenty of Namak halal Dalit's who have betrayed Behenji despite that she has done for them.But Behenji is nothing but the personification of forgiveness,she has already forgiven the betrayers and just to remind every Dalit in all of UP where their interest lies,Behenji will commission more statues to be installed all over the state, lest they forget.

This should suffice for the time being.

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hmm...seems like you are interacting too much with manuwadis these days, it is not namak halal but namak HARAM. BTW, I dont understand one thing:
if dalits dont vote for Behenji, they are called namak harams,
but what do we call those brahmins who vote for Behenji. Also should they be exempt from jhuta maro?

Also SATA, you forgot one more thing. Those statues are built not only for reminding people but also to provide jobs to dalits. Of course, manuvadis will retort that roads and other infrastructure could be built by that money, but they are just jealous of Behenji.

As i mentioned before Behenji is oozing with kindness and all.Every individual Brahman who have voted for her will will be exempt from Jhute maar,but behenji will continue encouraging their beating otherwise(and occasional killing)because they carry the sins of their Pitruwhich of those cannot be forgotten nor forgiven...The Brahman's,well versed in Smritis and Upanishads,will surely appreciate the underlying philosophy

As i mentioned before Behenji is oozing with kindness and all.Every individual Brahman who have voted for her will will be exempt from Jhute maar,but behenji will continue encouraging their beating otherwise(and occasional killing)because they carry the sins of their Pitruwhich of those cannot be forgotten nor forgiven...The Brahman's,well versed in Smritis and Upanishads,will surely appreciate the underlying philosophy

I am just glad that Behenji has taken birth in us dalits. I say, she should be made the pradhanmantri of amerika, so that she can rule the whole world, that Barack-something is not a patch on Behenji. She can then build statues all the over the face of earth(I want to see that liberty statue replaced with Mayaji's statue).